Basketball Season Is Right Around The Corner
Oct. 31, 2006
Coral Gables, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – Basketball season is right around the corner. The University of Miami opens it season in a little over a week against Florida International on November 11. The Hurricanes enter the season with many questions. The biggest being how do you replace Robert Hite and Guillermo Diaz, one of the greatest scoring tandems in school-history?
But even with Hite and Diaz gone Miami returns what may be the deepest team from top to bottom since Frank Haith took over the program two seasons ago.
Miami brings back nine lettermen, including two-year starters Anthony King and Anthony Harris, from last season’s squad that finished 18-16 and advanced to the quarterfinals of National Invitation tournament, as well as a recruiting class that could make an immediate impact.
The Backcourt
Hite and Diaz, and their 34 points per game, may have departed but the Hurricanes’ backcourt should once again be a formidable unit.
Leading the way in the backcourt will be 6-2 senior Anthony Harris. The Chicago native has played in 74 career games, including 48 starts over the last two seasons at point guard.
Last season he averaged 9.5 points per game, which ranked third on the team, and handed out a team-high 3.07 assists per contest. Over his career Harris is averaging 3.0 assists per game and his 220 career assists ranks 14th on Miami’s all-time list.
Also returning is 6-0 sophomore Denis Clemente who last season played in all 34 games making 13 starts. Clemente averaged 5.5 points per game and scored in double-figures six times last season including a season-high 19 points against Temple.
During the ACC tournament Clemente helped lead UM to a come-from-behind victory over Clemson scoring 10 points off the bench including the go ahead three-pointer with less than a minute to play.
Clemente then started all three NIT games as Miami finished one game away from reaching the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
A newcomer who is expected to play an integral part in Miami’s success this season is 6-1 sophomore Jack McClinton. McClinton, who can play either guard position, transferred from Siena prior to last season and sat due to NCAA transfer rules.
As a freshman at Siena, McClinton started 23 of 30 game and averaged 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He finished as the team’s leader in points (408), assists (82), defensive rebounds (122), three-point field goals made (46), free throws made (88), field goals made (137), free throw percentage (.815), three-point field goal percentage (.357) and minutes played (32.2).
Adding depth to the UM backcourt is 6-7 sophomore swingman Brian Asbury. Last season Asbury saw action in 32 games averaging one point and 1.4 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game.
The Miami native worked hard over the summer to improve his game and gives the Hurricanes an additional scoring threat on the perimeter.
Coach Haith added two perimeter players to the roster this season that could see action right away.
James Dews, a 6-3 guard out of Cincinnati, averaged 27.8 points per game last season earning first-team All-Ohio honors by the Associated Press. He led all of Cincinnati in scoring last season and left Lakota East High School as its all-time leading scorer (1,906 points). Prior to the end of the season his high school retired his No. 23 jersey.
Lawrence Gilbert, a native of New Orleans, also joins the Hurricanes this season. The 6-7 swingman was forced to play his senior season at Wheatley High School in Houston following Hurricane Katrina.
Despite living and playing basketball in a new city Gilbert averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocks per game leading Wheatley to a 31-4 record and earning second-team All-State honors.
The Frontcourt
Miami’s frontcourt is led by 6-9 senior Anthony King who has started all 63 games over the last two seasons. The Durham native averaged 8.8 points, a team-high 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Over the last two seasons King has continually improved his game going from a little used freshman in 2003-04 to one of the ACC’s top returning big men in 2006-07.
King has always been a tremendous shot blocker as evidenced by his 157 career blocks which ranks fourth on UM’s all-time list. But his biggest improvements have come on the offensive side of the floor where he has increased his scoring average from one point per game as a freshman, to 6.3 points per game as a sophomore, to 8.8 points per game last season. His improved free throw shooting has also been impressive going from .300 as freshman, to .492 as a sophomore, to .677 as a junior.
Miami also welcomes back 6-7 junior Raymond Hicks and 6-8 sophomore Jimmy Graham, both of whom started games last season for the Hurricanes.
Hicks played in 32 games last season making two starts and averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Hicks really stepped up his game during the 2006 post season averaging 8.4 points per contest while shooting 63 percent from the floor.
In Miami’s two ACC tournament games he averaged 10 points and connected on 8-13 (.615) field goals. In Miami’s second round game versus Duke he poured in a career high 12 points off the bench. He continued his fine play into the National Invitation Tournament averaging 7.3 points on 9-14 (.643) shooting from the field over the three games.
Graham, a 6-8 sophomore, played in all 34 games as a freshman last season making 10 starts. He averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game and gives Miami another physical presence in the paint.
Also returning is 6-7 forward Adrian Thomas who last season played in 23 games averaging 1.1 points in 5.0 minutes per game. The Pemboke Pines native is one the team’s most athletic players and has the ability to defend every position on the floor.
Adding depth to the Hurricane frontcourt this season will be 6-8 freshman Dwayne Collins and 6-11 junior Fabio Nass.
Collins, a two-time All-State selection, averaged 24 points and 13 rebounds per game last season for Miami Senior High School and was rated as the 65th best prospect in the nation by the Sporting News.
Collins, who has a 7-4 wingspan, is expected to play significant minutes this season off the bench.
Nass played last season at Fort Smith (AR) Junior College, the 2005-06 NJCAA National Champions. The native of Brazil has very good ball skills for a player his size and has three-point range.
The Schedule
The University of Miami will play 15 games against teams that reached postseason last season, highlighted by visits from three-time NCAA Champion Duke, perennial SEC power Mississippi State, intra-state rival Florida State, and cross town rival Florida International.
Miami opens its 2006-07 season at home against Florida International on November 11. The Hurricanes’ non-conference schedule includes several tough tests including a trip to Northwestern for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on November 28, a home game versus Mississippi State on December 11, and trips to Louisville (Dec. 23) and Massachusetts (Jan. 2). Miami will face Nebraska at this season’s Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, December 30 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, FL.
Miami opens ACC play this season at home against Georgia Tech on December 3 at the BankUnited Center. The Hurricanes’ ACC home schedule includes visits from Wake Forest (Jan. 6), Duke (Jan. 14), Virginia Tech (Jan. 23), Boston College (Feb. 7), NC State (Feb. 10), Virginia (Feb. 21) and Florida State (March 3).
The Hurricane’s ACC road schedule includes games at Maryland (Jan. 10), Boston College (Jan. 16), Florida State (Jan. 20), North Carolina (Jan. 31), Virginia (Feb. 3), Wake Forest (Feb. 17), Virginia Tech (Feb. 24), and Clemson (Feb. 28).
Season Tickets
Season ticket packages for the 2006-07 men’s basketball season start at just $199 and include tickets to all 15 regular season home games as well as Miami’s exhibition contest against Northwood, and legendary head coach Rollie Massimino, on November 6th (less than $12.50 per game). Family plans, which include admission for two adults and two children, are also available for as little as $475 (less than $7.50 per ticket).
For more information contact the Hurricane Ticket Office at 305-284-CANE, or log on to the official website of Hurricane Athletics – www.hurricanesports.com.
